Machine for drawing together ends of surface rods



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. J. TRACY.

MACHINE FOR DRAWING TOGETHER ENDS OF SURFACE RODS. No. 598,165. Patented Feb. 1,1898.

"1mm il- 4.. I ,ulm In I all (No Model.) Y 2'Sheets-Sheet'2.

H. J.TR'AGY. j I MACHINE FOR DRAWING TOGETHER ENDS OF SURFACE RODS.

N0. 598,165. Patented Feb. 1, 1898.

I 1 A L 5 z? -1 P/ illllllllll WIIWESSES 1 WSW, y

NlTE STATES PATENT rrcn.

HARLIN J. TRACY, OF SALAMANOA, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,165, dated February 1, 1898.

' Application filed June 1,1897. Serlalllo. 639,006. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARLIN J. TRACY, residing at Salamanca, in the county of Cattaraugus and State of New York, have in-' vented certain newanduseful Improvements in Machines for Drawing Together the Ends of-Surface Rods, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. 7

This invention relates to machines for repairing or drawing together surface rods, so called, such rods being used for pumping oil-wells, &c.

Surface rods are usually wooden bars, generally about two by three inches in cross-section and made in lengths of twenty feet or thereabout, coupled end to end. These rods are supported generally in pendulum form from light frames and are frequently several hundred .feet in length. To splice such a rod when broken,a team has generally been required to draw the ends of the rods together.

My improvement enables a single workman to draw the contiguous ends of a separated or broken rod together, so that a splice can be made by straps bolted to the rod or bar or by other suitable connection.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the winding-reel and its rod-clamp shown as attached to a broken section of a surface rod. Fig. 2 is a plan or elevation of Fig. 1, but with handle or lever broken. Fig. 3'is a broken end elevation and partial section. of the machine of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of one of the clamp-plates. Fig. 5 is a broken side elevation showing winding-reel and connecand a number of holes 2 therein.

tions as applied to a broken bar. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the bar-clamp connected to the cable. Fig. 7 is a perspective of eccentric drum. Fig. 8 is a perspective of bolding-drum.

A. indicates a portion of a surface rod, the same being supposed to be a rectangular wooden strip held up by any usual and suitable support. The clamp-plates B B are simply fiat metallic plates, each having a slot 1 The plates B are clamped to a piece of the surface rod by bolts 3, passing through the slots in the plates B, and by set-screws 4 4c.

The frame of the windlass is composed of angle-bars O 0, having bearings therein for the axle of the winding-drum D and having holes through which bolts 5 5 extend, one or more of the bolts passing through holes in the plates B. Set-sore ws at 4 are in threaded holes in bars 0 and bear against the plates B B. Thus by means of the bolts and set-screws the plates B may be attached very firmly to the surface rod and the frame-pieces held to the'plates B. The angle-bars of the Windlassframe have the bars which contain the winding-drum D about at a right angle to the bars to which the clamp -plates are connected. The effect of this is to clamp the whole device with reference to the surface rod when the Windlass is drawn on, thus binding the clamp and Windlass more tightly to the rigid rod and at the same time maintaining the cable in proximity to the surface rod and in convenient position for working.

The winding-drum D (partly broken away in Fig. 2) is a reel or drum having its axis E supported in bearings in the frame-pieces O and also having the forked ends F of a handle G supported on such axle or shaft. forks of the handle have spring-pawls H attached, said spring-pawls engaging notches in ratchet-wheels I, which are rigid with the shaft of the Windlass. The frame 0 has one or more spring-pawls K connected thereto and engaging the notches in the ratchetwheels I. The ratchet-wheels are shown as disks with squarecut gear-teeth cut at opposite corners, and one of the pawls is shown as beveled on one side to engage (like the engagement of a common door-catch) in one direction, while yielding when pressed in the other direction, such being a common construction of ratchets and pawls; but other suitable form of ratchet and pawl may be used. The object of the pawls and ratchetwheels is to hold the drum from movement in one direction, but to compel it to rotate in the other direction when the handleG is swung back and forth.

To the drum D a strong steel cable V, usually about one-half inch in diameter, is secured. The cable should be some twenty I00 feet in length or long enough to extend as far as the length of a surface-rod joint, although The to pull the ends of a broken rod together only a short cable is needed, and the remainder of the cable may be wound on the drum.

The winding-reel is clamped to a joint or section of the surface rod, so that the handle G may extend above, below, or at one side of the surface rod, according to the convenience of using, and by setting up the bolts and setscrews the machine may be very firmly attached, so that it will not slide along the joint of the rod.

The clamp-plates M form the framing of the cable-clamp. These plates are of metal, slotted at 10, and have bolts 11 12 passing through the slots and held by nuts. A clamppiece 0 surrounds one of these bolts between the two plates M. This piece 0 has a wing or pawl P rigid therewith, which wing is a little longer than the cylindrical body of the piece 0. The clamp piece or jaw 0 also has teeth 13 on one side, which teeth come in contact with the surface rod when the clamp is attached thereto. Suitable washers may surround the head and foot of bolts 11 and 12. The pawl P may be swung out of engagement with one set of teeth and into engagement with other teeth in slot 10, so that the jaw may be adjusted nearer to or farther from the end of such slot.

The eccentric jaw R is perforated longitu dinally near one side and is mounted on bolt 12 between plates M. The eccentric jaw has a lever S connected rigidly thereto, and cable V is attached to said lever.

The "cable-holding clamp described is secured to a joint of the surface bar by slipping the clamp over the end of the joint, so that jaw Olies close alongside the surface rod and is held in notches of frame M. Then by pulling on the cable the eccentric jaw R is turned about the bolt forming its axis and is firmly clamped to the surface rod. The further pull on the cable V binds the clamp more tightly, and at the same time draws the cable-clamp toward the Windlass to which the other end ofthe cable is secured. The operation of the handle G in a manner common in the operation of windlasses serves to draw the parts of the surface rod toward each other with great force, and when in proper position a splice may be effected in any usual or suitable way.

It will be observed that this implement or machine is composed of very simple parts, being mainly such as can be made or repaired at a blacksmiths shop. So far as may be flat strap-iron and common bolts with nuts are used, so that broken or misplaced parts can be repaired without great skill and at small expense.

I am aware that machines somewhat like mineare used for stretching fence-wire. I

. make no broad claims to such devices; but

ments devised by me and understood by me to be as stated'in the following claims.

I claim 1. The rod-clamp consisting essentially of notched and slotted side plates, a movable jaw having a pawl engaging teeth in said plates, and an eccentric jaw having a leverarm, the cable connected to said lever-arm, and means which maybe connected to another rod-section for drawing 011 said cable, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for repairing surface rods, the perforated and slotted clamp-plates B, B, the bolt 3 passing through the slots in the clamp plates and having a head bearing against one of said side plates and a nut bearing against the other of said side plates, the bolt 5 passing through said clamp-plates, and the Windlass having its frame connected to one of said bolts, and having set-screws passing through such frame and bearing on said clamping-plates, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for repairing surface rods, the slotted clamping-plates having bolts passin g therethrough, one of said bolts adjustable in the slot to position to bear against the edge of the surface rod; the Windlass and frame connected to said clamping-plates, and

.set-screws in the Windlass-frame bearing on the clampsplates by which the clamp-plates may be compressed on the flat faces of the surface rods, all combined substantially as described.

4. In a machine for repairing surface rods, the Windlass-frame composed of right-angled bars, the windingdrum supported in said frame and the operating-lever therefor having usual engaging means, the adjustable clampplates extending parallel to one bar of the frame and at a right angle to that bar forming the drum-support, and means connected to said clamp-bars by which the same may be made to embrace the rectangular surface rod, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a Windlass and cable and means for clamping the Windlass to one section of a surface rod, of a clamp composed of side plates, bolts passing through said plates, an eccentric jaw on one of the bolts, and a lever-arm rigid with said jaw and connected directly to the cable, whereby the clamp is tightened and made to bind the rod between the eccentric jaw and the opposite abutment by the said cable, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARLIN J. TRACY.

Witnesses:

EULALIE ALDRICH, GEO. F. ALDRICH. 

